Starlee's Heart (The Wayward Sons 1)

“Hey,” I say, walking past them in the small waiting area and moving behind the desk to stand next to Leelee. “What are you doing here?”

The boys exchange a look. “We came to ask Ms. Nye if you could have the afternoon off.”

“To do what?” I ask, straightening a stack of newspapers.

“To go to the falls.”

My eyes drop to George’s leg. He notices and laughs. “No, not those falls. The Star Trail. It’s not that far away and it’s a pretty easy hike.”

“And the waterfall is worth it,” Jake adds, giving Leelee a fast, charming smile.

I realize instantly why these are the two that were sent to fetch me. George is sweet. Good-natured and totally non-threatening. Jake? He can charm the pants off a snake. From the hint of red on her cheeks, this includes my grandmother.

“If Starlee wants to go, it’s fine with me.”

“Wait, what? I have to work. You need me here. It’s the busy season.”

“It is, and I have everything under control. You act like I haven’t done this for decades before you got here.” She gives me a look. “Go have fun with your friends, Starlee, the falls are beautiful.”

“You’ve been?”

“Of course, I’ve been. They’re named after my mother.” She rolls her eyes. “Your grandfather proposed to me at the falls.”

“You’re kidding?” George says, pumping his fist. “Go Mr. Nye.”

“George, don’t be crass.” Whatever. I can tell she loves the attention. She looks at me. “Go.”

Exhilaration rushes through me and before I can overthink it I say yes. Both boys break into wide grins and on the way out the door, George adds, “We’ll meet in an hour. Oh, and don’t forget your bathing suit.”

The door clicks shut. “Bathing suit?”

“It’s hot and you’ll want to take a dip when you get up there,” is all Leelee says, focused on her work.

“Uh, I don’t have a bathing suit.”

Leelee frowns. “What? How do you not have a bathing suit?”

I think of the two-piece tankini I had in my drawer back home for trips to the beach. “I’m not supposed to do anything but work and study and stay safely inside. No bathing suits required.”

The back door opens and shuts and we both glance in that direction. Katie steps into view. “That big cottage left a huge mess outside again last night.”

“I’ll talk to them again,” Leelee says. “They’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Well, put a mark by their name. I don’t like them.” She lifts the bag of dirty laundry and places it in the bin. My grandmother studies her closely and Katie frowns. “What?”

“You’re about the same size as Starlee, do you have a bathing suit she can borrow?”

“No.” I say. “That’s really not necessary. I can just dip my feet in.”

Katie’s eyes flick over to me, sizing me up. “I think I have a few you can choose from.”

“Perfect,” Leelee says. “You two head over now. Katie, I’ll keep you on the clock.”

She smiles. “You’ve got it.”

We’re on the front porch when I say, “You really don’t have to.”

“Why not? It’s about time you explored the area.” Has she been watching me? Probably. There’s not a lot else to do around here. “Where are you going?”